Menu creator component documentation

## Accessing the Backend

1. Log in to your Joomla website's backend (administrator panel) at `yoursite.com/administrator`.
2. Navigate to the Mx Menu Creator component using the main menu: **Components > Mx Menu Creator**.

## Managing Categories

Categories are used to organize your menu items. The component uses Joomla's built-in category system.

### Adding a New Category

1. From the Joomla backend, go to **Content > Categories**.
2. In the "Select Extension" dropdown, choose "Mx Menu Creator".
3. Click the **New** button (green plus icon) in the toolbar.
4. Fill in the category details:
   - **Title**: Enter a name for the category (e.g., "Appetizers", "Main Courses").
   - **Alias**: (Optional) A URL-friendly version of the title.
   - **Description**: (Optional) A description of the category.
   - **Status**: Set to "Published" to make it active.
   - **Access**: Set the access level (e.g., Public).
   - **Language**: Choose the language or "All".
5. Click **Save & Close** to create the category.

### Editing a Category

1. Go to **Content > Categories**.
2. Select "Mx Menu Creator" from the extension dropdown.
3. Click on the category title or select it and click **Edit**.
4. Make your changes and save.

### Deleting a Category

1. Select the category in the categories list.
2. Click **Delete** in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the deletion.

**Note**: Deleting a category will not delete the items within it, but they will become uncategorized.

## Managing Items

Items represent the individual menu entries (e.g., dishes, products) in your menu creator.

### Adding a New Item

1. From the Joomla backend, go to **Components > Mx Menu Creator > Items**.
2. Click the **New** button in the toolbar.
3. Fill in the item details:

   **Basic Information:**
   - **Title**: The name of the menu item (required).
   - **Alias**: (Optional) URL-friendly alias.
   - **Image**: Upload or select the main image for the item (required). Recommended size: 1170px x 800px.
   - **Image Layout**: Choose the layout (Square, Rectangle, Tower, or Original).
   - **Allergens**: (Optional) Add allergen images using the subform (add/remove/move buttons).
   - **Description**: Detailed description of the item (required). Use the editor for formatting.

   **Additional Settings (Sidebar):**
   - **Price**: Enter the price (optional).
   - **Category**: Select the category this item belongs to.
   - **Status**: Set to "Published" to make it visible.
   - **Language**: Choose the language.
   - **Access**: Set access level.
   - **Created**: (Optional) Set creation date.
   - **Created By**: (Optional) Set the author.

4. Click **Save & Close** to create the item.

### Editing an Item

1. Go to **Components > Mx Menu Creator > Items**.
2. Click on the item title or select it and click **Edit**.
3. Make your changes and save.

### Deleting an Item

1. Select the item(s) in the items list.
2. Click **Delete** in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the deletion.

## Creating Menu Items (Joomla Menus)

To display your menu creator content on the frontend, you need to create Joomla menu items that link to the component's views.

### Adding a Menu Item

1. From the Joomla backend, go to **Menus > [Your Menu Name]** (e.g., Main Menu).
2. Click **New** in the toolbar.
3. In the "Menu Item Type" section, click **Select** next to "Mx Menu Creator".
4. Choose the appropriate view:
   - **Default**: Displays a list of items (can be filtered by category).
5. Configure the menu item:
   - **Menu Title**: The text that appears in the menu.
   - **Alias**: URL-friendly alias.
   - **Parent Item**: (Optional) Set a parent menu item.
   - **Status**: Set to "Published".
   - **Access**: Set access level.
   - **Link**: The URL will be auto-generated.

6. For the **Items** view, configure the display settings:
   - **Category**: Choose to show items from all categories or a specific one.
   - **Ordering**: Select how items are ordered (e.g., by creation order, title).
   - **Style**: Choose the layout style (Default, Carousel, Tabs, Simple, Scrolling, Animated, Replace, Classic).
   - **Version**: Select Dark or Light theme.
   - **Columns**: Number of columns to display (1, 2, or 3).
   - **Limit**: Maximum number of items to show (default: 12).
   - **Item Height**: Set height for carousel style (various options like 600px, 80vh).
   - **Opacity**: Background opacity for overlays (0.1 to 0.9).
   - **Thumbnail Style**: Square or Round thumbnails.
   - **Thumbnail Type**: Masonry or Square layout.
   - **Show Allergens**: Enable/disable allergen display.
   - **Use Allergen Thumbnails**: Use thumbnails for allergens (if enabled).
   - **Popup Image**: Image layout for popups (Default, Square, Rectangle, Tower).
   - **Show Readmore**: Enable/disable readmore links.

7. Click **Save & Close** to create the menu item.

### Editing a Menu Item

1. Go to **Menus > [Your Menu Name]**.
2. Click on the menu item title or select it and click **Edit**.
3. Make changes and save.

### Deleting a Menu Item

1. Select the menu item.
2. Click **Delete** in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the deletion.

## Additional Tips

- **Publishing**: Ensure categories, items, and menu items are published to appear on the frontend.
- **Ordering**: Use the ordering feature in lists to control the display order.
- **Modules**: The component includes a module (mod_mxmenucreator) that can be used to display menu items in module positions.
- **Permissions**: Check user permissions if certain actions are not available.
- **Caching**: Clear Joomla's cache after making changes to see updates immediately.

## Troubleshooting

- If items don't appear, check that they are published and assigned to a published category.
- Ensure menu items are linked correctly and the menu is assigned to a module.
- Check error logs in Joomla's global configuration for any issues.

For more advanced configuration, refer to the component's configuration options under **Components > Mx Menu Creator > Options**.